Face off
1641 Words
The ride had stopped completely and the ship was swarmed by mutants, called hunchback ghouls.
*BOOM BOOM BOOM
“UrghWargh!!!!!! UAWARGH!! AWRUAGHR!!”
Violently overthrowing everything on board, the ghouls are searching for something, someone rather. The noise of their rampage was hard to miss and all other mutants had gathered on the ship. Wrecking it more and more.
Meanwhile on a pole, a camera is adjusting it’s view to see what is happening.
Beyond the Camera are busy working humans on their computers. Big venues like this require many eyes overseeing it.
“There was not much action in our section.” A woman who leaned lazy backwards complained. She checked the surroundings first and then did a little stretching.
“It’s boring to watch empty parking spaces. It’s not even inside the theme park.” Drinking his coffee, he answered.
“Those guys always get the action.” The woman clicked her tongue as she rounded her rotating chair, missing a passing image on the monitor. She looked at it briefly but seeing there was no change she rolled her eyes once and put on her headset again.
On the other side of the office is a busy group.
“Status on Team 1” Macord asked. The live video feed of the Team 1 was displayed on the large skin. They are on top of a show house. Liam is looking through his binoculars, while Michael is standing beside him. With her legs dangling on the roof, Athena is watching the ship ride from the distance. Brandy slumped to the floor drenched in sweat.
*Bzzzt bzzzt
“Lark, How is the situation?” Liam talked to his earpiece.
*Bzzzt bzzzt
“Negative. I can't locate them.” The last member, Lark, is away from the main team. He currently placed himself on a high tower used originally for a ride. Balancing himself on the beams he is looking through at his snipping gun. Hanging beside him is a bow and arrow and a duffel bag.
*Bzzzt
The connection ended. Liam put down his binoculars and turned.
“Let’s go… To our next item.”
“W,wait *huff* huff*” Still out of breath, Brandy, struggled to get up.
Liam watched him with a sour face but immediately fixed it before they met eye to eye.
“You can wait here, until we gather the rest. You’ve already succeeded in getting the first one.”
Brandy lowered his head and crumpled his face.
Shakingly he answered. “No, I am coming… I could be of some help.”
Holding his tongue to stop it from clicking, Liam said, “Of course. Please tell me, if it gets harder in the meantime.”
He meant Brandy’s arm. Brandy’s arm is shaking terribly earlier after being grabbed by ghoul. They said that it might be slightly cracked or fractured.
“I will…” Brandy supported his arm as he got up.
Liam nodded at him with a smile but as he walked out, he noticed that Michael was still glancing at the direction of the wrecked ship.
“What’s the matter?”
“Why are the games still on?” Michael asked.
“That’s probably because the other team is still…alive.” Liam realized something.
*Bzzt bzzt
“Lark.”
“Yes?”
“Find the rest of the Team 2’s members. We can assume that Lucas and the other one with him died.”
“Copy that.”
*Bzzzt bzzzt
After the call, Athena only then stood up. She is fearlessly standing on the edge. It’s still one floor in height.
“I agree, in your plans but assuming they died in that attack? I think you are making a mistake.” She said dusting herself and grabbed her bag.
“There is no way out on that ride.”
“Still. That man is like a rat. He keeps finding holes.”
Macord, who is watching them from the screen, asked. “What is the status of Team 2?”
The videos of team one were minimized and replaced by two separate videos. One is a group of three men. Looking exhausted as they cramp below the booth’s table. The next is the remains of the used to be ship. Only its skeletal structure had been left, the mutants are calmed down compared to earlier.
“Find them.” He said.
The camera zooms in and scans the place.
“I don’t think they are dead yet.” A man’s voice talked. It’s Yuslan.
He is watching from one of the monitors intently.
“You can see something?”
“Nah. It’s just the mutants are not bloody… Did they perhaps know table manners now?”
Macord smirk. “Ofcourse, I know he is still alive somewhere.”
“How?”
“Show the player’s Vitals.”
The screen was split into three. The third one is the pulse rate and activity of the players.
Every player still has the status of ‘Playing’. That includes Lucas and Elijah.
“Oh ho!! They survived… Then where are they?”
“That’s the amusing part. They are still on that ride.” A GPS installed in their watch showed their current location.
The two of them are indeed still alive but barely breathing. Their surroundings are dark and something heavy is pressing them down. They could hear the groans and all the tearing aparts going on.
They are lying flat on the ground with bellies down and controlled breathing. Briefly some times, the only sunlight they can see straight ahead will show the ghouls feet.
“Uawargh!” Just as soon as they think about it. A mutant looked below the ride in an usual style. It bends it’s body unnaturally to the side before dropping to the ground and starts crawling inside… down with them. It growled like it’s announcing its arrival.
Lucas and Elijah looked at each other nervously as they closed their eyes. Soon the ghoul mutant starts making its way in their direction.
It’s red eyes are glowing menacingly in the dark tight space.
*Thud
It’s hand reached in their in between first. Lucas can’t calm down his violent heart. Biting hard his lips and holding his breath. He is stiff like a rock.
It didn’t take long before it finally reached them.
In between them, the undead growled low.
They can’t describe the details of it’s look since they shut their eyes the moment it’s hands were placed in front of them praying to just let it just pass them.
‘Please! Please! Please don’t let it see me!!’ Elijah repeated it like a mantra in his mind.
“UWARGH!!!”
*thud thud thud
After it sniffed around it passed them by.
They were only able to breathe by them. Despite the sewage-like smell below the ship ride with all of the dead hunchback ghouls’ bodies, gathered. They survived because of it. It masked their own smell.
Maybe something had caught the attention of the ghouls, because fifteen minutes later the ghouls rushed out of the place. They waited more minutes before Lucas and Elijah had started crawling out of the tight space.
They are still trembling as they both look around to see if it’s really safe now.
“W,we n,eed to g, —*thud*” Lucas tried getting up but his shaking legs gave out.
“Man, y,you don’t need to f,force yourself.” Shaking also Elijah tried reaching Lucas but he too is too weak to assist anyone.
*Thud
“...!”
Lucas immediately looked at the direction of the sound holding his breath. Elijah is half way underneath the ride again.
“Uh? It’s just me.” It was Aaron. He halted on his tracks and showed his palm on them seeing that both had a dreaded look on them.
“What the f**k man! I almost peed *thud* my pants!” Elijah let himself fall straight to the ground. That sound shaved at least a few years in their lifespan.
If Elijah had collapsed, Lucas remained the same in his frozen state.
“Lucas? Are you–”
Lucas aggressively inhaled air and started coughing right after.
Aaron had to stay in there with them for a few minutes and had to assist Lucas up to the platform. Elijah can climb out on his own just fine.
Kiko and Jack are waiting up to the platform, keeping an eye on the surroundings.
“Should we move elsewhere?” Jack asked.
“No… this place has most of Ghouls scent. This will be the safest…provided we will not be spotted…” Lucas answered by massaging his numb legs.
“How did you get out anyway?” Kiko is frowning and looking sideways.
Elijah was the one who narrated the story of their barely escape.
It started when a mutant made whole on the floor. They used it to get down to the bottom and as soon as the ride had stopped while the ghouls were ripping apart the ship, They ripped the bottom part and made a enough hole to fit themselves in.
When the upper deck was destroyed. The hole they made was covered. They successfully land outside the ride but the problem was their continuous contact with the mutant.
The scare doesn’t decrease even after multiple contacts.
“Shhh.” Kiko suddenly hushed Elijah’s story. “Hide now!”
Aaron carried Lucas as they took cover.
Multiple ghouls are sprinting on all fours passing Lucas’ group.
Lucas borrowed the binoculars and watched the mutants rushing inside a doll house attraction.
On the opposite side of the doll house is a lane of booths, on top of it is a person dropped to his belly.
Watching him… on binoculars.
“...!”
A smile and wave was given to Lucas.
- Writer
